Tongue-support



(-No Model.)

J. M. BARR.

TONGUE SUPPORT.-

No. 394,752. Patented Dec. 18, 1888.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES M. BARR, OF FOREST HOUSE, PENNSYLVANIA.

TONGUE-SUPPORT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 394,752, dated December 18, 1888.

Application filed July 23, 1888.

T0 aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JAMES M. BARR, a citizen of the 'United States, residing at Forest House, in the county of Potter and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Tongue-Supports; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invent-ion, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to vehicles, and has for its object to provide means for holding up the tongue and for permitting the tongue when necessary to rise above its normal position without lifting the tree or evener or changing the line of draft, so as to take off neck-draft and so prevent wrenching and straining of parts injurious to both horse and vehicle. Y

It also has for its object to have the tree or evener below instead of above the tongue, so as to bring the d aft lower and relieve the horses of neck-d raft.

To the accomplishment of these objects and such others as may hereinafter appear the invention consists in the construction and the combination of parts hereinafter particularly described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings,forming a part hereof.

Figure l is a side elevation of a portion of an axle and tongue with my invention applied thcreto. Fig. 2 is a perspective of the block or frame with the rod, spring, and drawbolt applied thereto.

In the drawings, the letter A designates the front axle, to which the tongue B will be pivotally connected in any suitable waysay by pivoting it by a bolt, C, to the bifurcated plate D. The tongue is enlarged at the point where the evener E is applied, as shown at asay made from one to two inches (more or less) thicker than tongues ordinarily are made-and the evener is applied beneath the tongue, as shown. By such construction the draft is eight or ten inches (more or less) lower than is ordinarily the case, and the con- Serial No. 230,892. (No model.)

sequent advantage of a lower draft is obtained, so that considerable heft or neck-draft is taken off the horses neck.

The tongue is held by means of a spring connected with it and to the axle. The construction that I employ. is a rod, F, pivotally connected at one end to the axlesay by a bolt, G, passing through the ears of a plate, 11, connected to the axle. The other end of the rod passes through the end Z) of a frame or hollow block, I, and within the block or frame it is provided with a nut, .I, screwed onto the end of the rod, which is threaded for the purpose.

Between the nut J and the inner end, I), of the frame is placed a block or stop, K, against which bears one end of a spring, L, which encircles the rod, the other end of the spring bearing against a nut, M, screwed onto the rod, which is threaded therefor.

The block or frame I at its forward end hasthe draw-bolt N pivoted theretosay by journal-pins 0, extending from opposite sides of the enlarged base (Z of the bolt and entering holes 9, formed in opposite sides of the hollow block or frame I. There may be a series of the holes 6, so as to allow the draw-bolt to be shifted from one set to another. This drawbolt passes upward through a vertical hole or aperture, 0, made in the tongue B, and thus connects the spring-frame to the tongue. A nut, Q, is screwed onto the end of the drawbolt, so as to hold the tongue and spring-support together. The nut is not screwed down tightly against the tongue, but only far enough to allow a play of half an inch, more or less, so that the even er will-be free to move back and forth without binding. The nut will be held from slipping off by a split key, f, passed through the bolt, as shown.

It will be observed that the rear wall of the aperture 0 is inclined downwardly and to the rear, while the front wall is vertical, or practically so. I11 a full-sized tongue the length of this aperture at its base will be four inches, more or less. The purpose of the inclined wall is to permit the forward part of the tongue to rise above its normal position without changing the inclination of the drawbolt and evener, which will respectively stand in the same horizontal and vertical position.

By having the front wall vertical the drawbolt will bear against it, so that when the horses are pulling the draw will be on. the tongue through the bolt. The evener E is held to its place between the tongue and the spring frame or hollow block I by the drawbolt, which passes through it and about which the cvener is free to turn.

A strap-1.)late,l,is connected at its rear end to the under side of the tongue'and toward its forward end is curved downwardly, as sho\vn,whilc at its forward end it is slotted, so that the draw-bolt may pass through the slot. When the Tongue is standing in. its normal position, the draw-bolt bears against the front wall of the slot, and part of the pull is thus transferred to the tongue; but when the tongue is lifted above its normal position The strap-plate adjusts itself to conform to the changed position of The tongue.

The position or height at which the Tongue shall normally stand is regulated by the position of the nuts M and .I. By screwing up the nuts Toward the end of the rod next to the evener the tongue will be raised higher, while" by moving them, in the opposite direction it will be lowered. This adjustment is effected by screwing the rod before its attachment to the axle, because, as will be observed, the sides of The nuts tit against the sides of the frame and therefore cannot; be turned. This construction also insures maintaining the tongue at the given adjustment and guards against the loss of the nuts, as it is impossible for them To change their position after the rod is connected to the axle.

\Vhen there is sufficient weight on the tongue, the spring will becmnpressml;but the strength of the spring is such. that the weight of the tongue and the necleyoke will not compress it, or at least appreciably so, and it should be such as will best serve the purpose, for i f only st rong enough to support the tongue when the team is not drawing or pulling it would not be strong enough when the team should be pulling, and it it be strong enough to carry the tongue when the team is pulling under a heavy load it would be too strong for ordinary use to permit the tongue to adjust itself to the varying pressures put upon it. The tension, therefore, should be between those Two extremes, and the nuts can be adjusted to give the tension required for the load to be drawn.

by the general construction of the parts destruction isbelieved to be the best for the purpose in view; but I do not mean to restrict myself thereto, as it is obvious that changes can be made without departing from the spirit of my invention.

llaving described my invention and set forth its merits, what I claim is 1. The combination, with the tongue, of the evener or tree applied to the under side thereof and the oscillating draw bolt passing through an opening inv the tongue and connecting the tree thereto, substzultially as set forth, and for the purposes described.

2. The combination, with the tongue, of the spring connected therewith and with the vehicle to support the Tongue, and the draw-bolt connected with said spring and entering an aperture in the tongue in which it can have an oscillatory movement, substantially as described.

53. The combination,with thetongue formed with an aperture constructed to permit an oscillatory movement of a draw-bolt therein, of a draw-bolt entering said aperture, a frame havin said bolt journaled therein to oscillate, a spring acting through said frame on the tongue, and means connecting said spring with a vehicle, substantially as deseril'icd.

i. The combination of the tongu e, the frame cz'irrying the draw-bolt ei'itering the tongue, the rod connected with the frame so that one may move upon the other, a syn-ing acting on said frame and rod and serving to support. the tongue, and adjusting means for regulating the play of the frame and rod one upon the other to support the tongue higher or lower, substantially as described.

The combination of t he Tongue, the frame carrying the draw-bolt entering the tongue, the rod connected with the frame so thatone may move upon the other, a spring acting on said rod and frame and scrvingto support the tongue, and nuts on said rod and within the frame, whereby The playof the frame and rod one upon the other may be regulated and the nuts prevented from working off the rod, substantially as described.

(I. The combinatirm ofthe tongue, the springactuated frame carrying the drawbolt entering the tongue, and the strapplate secured to the tongue and formed with the slot through which said d raw-bolt passes, substantially as described.

7. The combination of the tongue, the springactuated .frame carrying the draw-limit entering the tongue, and The evener moving about the draw-bolt below the tongue, substantially as described.

In Testimony 'WllOlOOf l affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JAMES H. BARR.

\Vitnesses:

.l. U. ME'rZoEi-z, T. B. LLOYD. 

